Liquid-drawing apparatus.



ITo. 770,271. PATENTED SEPT. 20, 1904.

' J. M. DOEHRER.

LIQUID DRAWING APPARATUS.

APPLIOATION FILED MAY-'7, 1904.

N0 MODEL. 2 SHEETS-SHEET L PATENTED SEPT. 20, 1904.

APPLICATION FILED MAYU, 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

HO MODEL.

WITNESSES UNITED STATES Patented September 20, 1904.

PATENT EErcE.

LIQUID-DRAWING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 770,271, dated September 20, 1904.

Application filed May 7. 1904. Serial No, 206,912. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, J OHN M. DOEHRER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Bridgeport, in the county of Fairfield and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Liquid- Drawing Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an apparatus for drawing beer or other like liquids; and it consists in certain details of construction to be more fully set forth in the following specification. 7

The object of my invention is to draw beer or other like liquids from the top or bottom of the keg and automatically seal the outlet or bung when the draft-pipe is withdrawn to apply an air-pressure on the top of the beer to force it up through the draft-pipe when drawing the beer.

To enable others to understand my invention, reference is had to the accompanying drawings, in Which Figure 1 represents a sectional view of a beer-keg and broken View of the pump connection. Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail View of the bung-plug and broken view of the draftpipe to which said plug is removably attached. Fig. 3 is a central sectional view of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail View of one of the rubber packing-rings with an inner metal shell therefor. Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail bottom plan view of the cap for the bung. Fig. 6 is an enlarged broken view, partly in section, of the bung and its cap, broken View of the lower end of the draft-pipe withdrawn from the bung, leaving the stopper or plug therein. Fig. 7 is an enlarged central sectional view of the bung, its cap, rubber packing-rings, air-valve, and broken View, partly in section, of the rubber air-pipe.

Its operation and construction are as follows:

1 represents a beer-keg; 2, a metallic bung adapted as a permanent fixture of the keg. The end of the threaded portion of this bung may have the cutting edges or lips 60, Fig. 1, to act as a tap in forming the threads in the head 1 of the keg.

3 is the draft-pipe adapted to extend into a room above.

4 is a hand-pump, and 5 the dischargefaucet.

The pipe 3, Fig. 1, extends through the central tapered hole 6, Fig. 7, to the bottom of the keg. Referring to Fig. 6, the end of this pipe is either reduced to form the spring-fingers 7 by means of the kerfs 8 or a short piece of pipe having these spring-fingers may be firmly inserted in the lower end of the draftpipe.

9, Figs. 2 and 3, is a hollow tapered plug closed at the bottom and having the holes 10 formed through the side, which holes serve both as outlets for the beer. The taper of this plug corresponds to the tapered hole 6 of the bung, so that when the plug is drawn up into the bung in the manner presently to be described the keg is securely sealed.

11 and 12 are grooves rolled in the outer surface of the plug 9, which will of course raise the annular projection 13 and 14 'on the inside. When, therefore, the spring-fingers 7 are forced into the plug, the lower beaded ends 7 of said fingers will spring outward after passing by the lower annular projection 14 of the plug and temporarily secure said plug to said fingers.

When drawing, the beer will flow from the keg through the holes 10 of the plug up into the pipe 3, and when the keg is emptied the draft-pipe is Withdrawn. In pulling out this pipe the plug will be forced into the taperhole 6 of the bung, where it will be firmly seated. This seating of the plug will offer the necessary resistance to disengage the spring-fingers 7 from the plug, leaving the plug in the bung while the pipe is entirely removed, as shown at Fig. 6. The empty keg is now hermetically sealed against the entrance of air or other deleterious matter.

15 is a spring-pin located in the bung 2, adapted to enter the lower groove 12 of the plug to prevent said plug accidentally falling out of the bung.

As before mentioned, my device is adapted to draw liquid from the top or bottom of a keg. In drawing from the top the plug 9 is pushed down until the spring-pin enters the upper groove 11. This will bring the holes 10 in the plug below the end of the bung 2 to permit liquid to enter and pass .up through the draft-pipe. If desired, the plug can be reseated in the bung irrespective of the pipe 3 by means of a suitable key inserted in its open end and having means for engaging the lugs 16, Fig. 3, located near the bottom of said plug.

17 Fig. 7, is a recess in the upper end of the bung 2 adapted to receive the threaded shank of the cap 18. This shank has the interrupted threads 18, Fig. 5, adapted to engage with the interrupted threads on the vertical walls of the recess 17 of the bung. The lower end of the air-tube connection is secured to this cap, as follows: 19 is a valvecasing having its lower threaded end 19 screwed into a threaded hole in the cap. 20 is a nipple screwed into the upper end of this casing, and to this nipple is secured the lower end of the rubber air-tube 21. The upper end of this tube is properly-connected to the pump above, Fig. 1. When, therefore, the pump-plunger descends, it will force air down through the, tube 21 and channel 22 of the nipple and force the spring actuated ballvalve 23 from its seat on the lower end of said nipple. When this valve is opened, the air will enter the chamber 24 and from thence will pass down through the channel 25 of the cap 18 and casing 19 and into the keg through the tapered seat 6 of the bung, as follows: 26 is a recess in the cap 18, and 27 is a rubber packingring located at the bottom of this recess. This ring is intended to firmly'embrace the draftpipe 3 to prevent the upward escape of the air by said pipe. The lower end of the recess 26 is enlarged to receive the lower and larger rubber packing-ring 28. 29 is a metal ring (see also Figs. 4 and 5) within the rubber ring 28, and it has an internal diameter larger than the draft-pipe 3 to permit the passage of air between said pipe and metal ring. This metal ring projects above the packing-ring 28 far enough to firmly engage the upper packingring, so that when the cap 18 is screwed down the lower packing-ring will be firmly seated to prevent the escape of air between said ring and the bottom of the recess 17 of the bung 2, while the downward pressure of the cap 18 will force the metal ring 25 into the upper packing-ring 2'7 and crowd said upper ring against the draft-pipe 3. The lower end of the air-channel 25 opens into the recess 26 of the cap 18 between the two rubber packingrings 27 and 28. 29 represents V-shaped openings in that portion of the short metal ring 29 above the rubber ring 28 to admit the current of air inside of said ring and from thence to the seat 6 and the interior of the keg, as before mentioned. The arrows shown at Fig. 7 will show the course of the air-current from the rubber pipe 21 to the lower end of the metallic bung 2.

30, Figs. 6 and 7, is aring of non-corrosive material let into the walls of the taper bore 6 of the bung 2 to prevent rusting in of the plug 9 and also to resist wear.

When a short draft-pipe with the faucet close to the keg is used, the air tube or pipe can be dispensed with, as there will be suflicient head to the beer to force itself out. In such a case the casing 9 will be removed and airope'ning in the cap 18 will be plugged up by means of a screw or in any other effective manner; but when the beer is to be drawn to any great height air-pressure is necessary.

Applying air-pressure to the top of the beer and drawing the beer from the bottom of the keg will give much better results, as more beer and less froth or foam will be discharged than when drawing from the top.

The automatic sealing of thekeg, both when filled and empty, directly from the draft-pipe is of great ad vantage, as the plug is always in its place and in readiness to be applied to seal the keg Whether empty or full and the plug can never be lost or misplaced.

While I show holes in the side of the plug whereby the beer or other like liquid is received into the pipe, it will be understood that these holes can be dispensed with in the plug and transferredto the pipe just above the plug when said plug is temporarily secured to the entering end of the pipe, as shown at Fig. 2.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination, in a liquid-drawing apparatus, comprising a hollow bung adapted to be secured to a keg and having a tapered seat at its lower end, a removable hollow tapered plug adapted to fit said seat and having lateral holes to admit the liquid from the keg, said plug having annular grooves in its outer surface and correspondingly-annular projections on the interior, a discharge-pipe carrying spring-fingers at its lower end, the ends of said fingers having raised beaded portions adapted to engage with the lower internal annular projection of the plug to reseat the IIO same or prevent its dropping ofi from said pipe, a springactuated pin carried by the bung and adapted to engage with either of the annular grooves of said plug, for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination, in a liquid-drawing apparatus, comprising a bung adapted to be secured to a keg and having a tapered seat in its lower end, a removable hollow tapered plug in the entering end of said bung, said plug having holes in its side to discharge liquid therefrom, a pipe adapted to pass through said bung into the keg and remove said plug on its passage therethrough, means on the entering end of said pipe for temporarily securing the plug thereto, said bung having a recess in its upper end, a cap removably secured thereto, an air-pipe connected with said cap, said cap having a recess in its under side, means for forcing air into the recess of said cap and through an annular space between said pipe and hung, which annular space represents the seat for the plug, a valve to prevent the return of the air up the air-pipe, packing-rings in the recess of the cap to prevent the escape of the air, for the 'purpose set forth.

3. The combination, in a liquid-drawing apparatus, comprising a bung adapted to be secured to a keg, a removable hollow plug in its entering end, said plug having holes in its side to discharge the liquid therefrom, a pipe adapted to pass through said bung into the keg and remove said plug on its passage therethrough, means on the entering end of said pipe for temporarily securing the plug thereto, said bung having a recess in its upper end, a cap removably secured to said recess, said cap having a recess in its lower end, a flexible pipe connected to said cap, means for forcing air into the recess of said cap so that, the air will pass from thence through the air-passages of said metal ring, plug-seat of the bung and into the keg, for the purpose set forth.

Signed at Bridgeport, in the county of Fairfield and State of Connecticut, this 18th day of April, A. D. 1904.

JOHN M. DOEHRER.

Witnesses:

GEORGE W. FINN, S. J. CHAFFER. 

